Injured Jadeja may not be fit for Australian tour

He has an excellent record in one day matches. But given his modest record in Test matches, there was some criticism about Ajay Jadeja's selection in the Indian squad for the tour of Australia. Now it is doubtful whether the 28-year-old Jadeja will make the trip because of a shoulder injury.

There are serious doubts whether Jadeja will recover in time for the shoulder to heal. And coach Kapil Dev, who was a fitness fanatic during his playing days, has been quoted as saying ``I will only ask for his inclusion if he is 100 percent fit and is in a position to stand the entire tour. I don't want an injured man in the team.''

Jadeja is presently consulting Dr Anant Joshi in Mumbai and if the orthopaedic surgeon suggests further interrogation, Jadeja could be on his way to South Africa for specialist treatment. The deadline for Jadeja to get an all clear certificate is November 21 for the team is off to Australia the next day. It may be recalled that South African expert Dr Mark Ferguson had treated Javagal Srinath for a rotator cuff problem two seasons ago.

Jadeja's injury from all accounts is serious enough to raise doubts whether he will make it to Australia. An x-ray of his right shoulder muscle tear has revealed that it is unlikely to heal in time.

A couple of years ago in Singapore, Jadeja had suffered a calf muscle injury. It took some time to recover. The present problem arose on the eve of the one day game against New Zealand at Guwahati.

With growing doubts over whether he will recover in time, there is already considerable speculation as to who will replace him in the 16-member squad. Names doing the rounds include Jacob Martin, Md Azharuddin and Nayan Mongia.